Holden sets up new rules to check animals for rabies after bobcat confusion

Saturday

Jun 29, 2013 at 6:00 AMJun 29, 2013 at 9:21 AM

By Elaine Thompson TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

Town officials have developed more effective protocols for testing animals for rabies after a rabid bobcat's attack on a local man last week.

Michael J. Votruba, 24, of 441 Causeway St. was attacked by a bobcat when he got out of his truck a little before 6 p.m. June 17. Mr. Votruba, who works at a Worcester engineering firm and is licensed to carry a gun, was able to fight off the animal and kill it with his .380-caliber pistol.

But because of confusion about whose responsibility it was to cut off the animal's head and transport the head to the state Department of Public Health's lab in Jamaica Plain for rabies testing, it was three days before a test was conducted that determined the animal had been rabid.

“We have come up with a framework that mirrors how Worcester handles these cases in case it happens in the future,” Town Manager Jacquelyn M. Kelly said this week. Holden is part of the Central Massachusetts Regional Public Health Alliance, which is headed by Derek S. Brindisi, director of Worcester's Division of Public Health.

In a written account of the incident, Mr. Votruba said that after he killed the animal, he found a scratch on his left elbow, so he immediately threw the dead animal in the bed of his truck and went to UMass Memorial Medical Center - University Campus in Worcester, where he began a series of shots for rabies. He said he took the animal with him because he thought hospital workers would know what to do with it.

It was the hospital that called Holden police to report the attack. Mr. Votruba said he did not call 911 because his primary concern was to seek medical attention. He said after he returned home later that night, he called police and was told by a dispatcher that Michael S. Sendrowski, the animal control officer, could not be called because there was no longer an emergency.

The next morning, Mr. Votruba said, he was told by Andrea Crete, the town's health agent and the public health specialist, that she was not responsible for getting the animal to be tested. When she learned the animal had been shot in the head, she suggested it could not be tested and that the animal should be disposed of in the woods.

In his report, Sgt. Scott Amati of the environmental police said he contacted Ms. Crete and told her it was the town's responsibility to ensure the animal was taken to be tested. He said she told him the the town would not accept the animal because the incident happened on private property and the animal was too large to handle.

“I explained to her it was my understanding it was the town's responsibility and that the size should not be an issue as it would be the approximate size of a raccoon,” the environmental police officer wrote in his report.

The environmental police ended up taking the animal on ice in a cooler to the state lab. Workers at the lab, however, refused to accept it because only the head was needed for testing. A veterinarian in Andover later decapitated the animal and transported the head to the state lab.

Ms. Kelly, the town manager, said she has since spoken with Ms. Crete, Mr. Sendrowski, Police Chief George Sherrill (who was on vacation at the time of the incident), Fire Chief John Chandler III, and Mr. Brindisi to define the protocol that will be used in the future.

“We've reviewed it. I've talked to Derek and he suggested some procedures because the city of Worcester has dealt with these cases before on a more regular basis. They have a procedure set up. We'll follow their procedure,” Ms. Kelly said.

She said that if a person calls 911 and reports an animal attack, police, fire personnel would immediately respond. The animal control officer and the health agent would also be called in, she said.

Ms. Crete, the health agent, would be responsible for advising the victim to seek proper medical attention. The animal control officer would have to bring the dead animal to a veterinarian, who would prepare the animal for testing by cutting off its head, and transporting it to the state lab.

Ms. Kelly said the town will either contract a local veterinarian for the service or work with veterinarians Worcester uses at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in Grafton.

Mr. Votruba said he is satisfied with the new protocol.

“I'm actually impressed at how fast they reacted to rectify the issue,” he said

Contact Elaine Thompson at ethompson@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @EThompsonTG.

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